Well, dear readers, I can see by the hands on the clock that it is time to write these here notes. The hands on the clock are inexorable, and time marches on and every night at this time the hands on the clock tell me that it is time to write these here notes. First of all, did you even know that hands on the clock could talk? I wouldn’t have thought so either, being of sound and logical mind, but every night the hands on the clock open their big fat trap and tell me that it is time to write these here notes. I don’t ever argue with the hands on the clock, as it is pointless. When the hands on the clock tell you something, you simply do it, or the hands will bitch-slap you from here to eternity and hell and back. And speaking of bitch-slapping, I had to write quite a nasty little e-mail to a shop in London – they are the worst at paying their invoices and I am completely annoyed at them. Their current invoice is now eleven weeks overdue. They promised us it was going out three weeks ago, and then this week we found out it hadn’t gone out, and now the bookkeeper is gone for two weeks. We have asked the guy to sign up for paypal and to pay us that way, but he just ignores us, so it’s going to be two more weeks, and even then who knows how fast we can get it here. What I have told him is that we cannot do business like this and, unless we come to some kind of understanding, he won’t be getting our CDs anymore. Right now, he’s got an exclusive – he’s the only one selling them in the UK. What I have decided for the near future is that once this invoice is paid, it’s cash up front for any new orders. I don’t have this trouble with any other store (at least not yet), and we’re just not set up to float these invoices for a week let alone eleven weeks. Unbelievable. Damn them, damn them all to hell. Mercy me, the hands on the clock are telling me to finish this fershluganah paragraph already.
Last night I watched a motion picture on DVD entitled Batman Begins. I think people liked the film, and I think it did decently at the box-office, so I was really looking forward to seeing what all the hubbub was about. Well, for me it was about nothing. Or, as a better writer than I put it, full of sound and fury signifying nothing. The first forty minutes of the film are just terrible – I couldn’t make sense out of any of it, save for the flashback of how Bruce Wayne’s parents were killed. The rest was sort of House of Flying Bats, and it was so bad I really considered bailing right then and there. However, the film partially redeems itself back in Gotham, and all the Batman stuff is mindless, but at least watchable and sort of fun. Then, screenwriting 101 rears its ugly head and they have to now pay off all that stuff at the beginning, and that turns the final third of the film into one long obnoxious action cue. Christian Bale is fine as Bruce/Batman, and Michael Caine has fun as Alfred. Gary Oldman is good, but an odd choice as the man who will become Commissioner Gordon, and Katie Holmes has spunk as Bruce’s childhood friend and now crack DA. Liam Neeson was simply irritating, Rutgar Hauer was wasted, and Morgan Freeman was Morgan Freeman. There is no strong villain, which is part of the problem – every time you think you know who the villain is, it turns into someone else. The script is nonsensical, the musical score automatically entered my pantheon of awful filmmusic – the culprits are Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard. That it took two composers to come up with the thumping that calls itself music, is rather astonishing. There’s not a theme to be found in the entire score – it just thumps and drones, not necessarily in that order. And I am very tired of the sound of movies – every sound has to be HUUUUUGE and LOUUUUUD and IMPORTAAAANT and IN YOUR FAAACE, and after a while you just want to throttle these sound people. And you can’t even tell if a movie has good photography anymore, since everything, every single damn shot, is manipulated in the computer, and I’m not just talking special effects and CGI, I’m talking about every single shot – color-boosted, or played with in some way. It doesn’t matter if a cameraman is good anymore. Do we think Greg Toland would have allowed his photography to be manipulated in a computer? No. Franz Planer didn’t need computers, William Clothier didn’t need computers, they actually had to ply their craft and make beautiful images the real way – with lighting and lenses and camera placement and talent. I shouldn’t watch these things, but every time I read positive comments then I get my hopes up – I should just realize that I am not able to look past bad writing, merely competent direction, and crappy music. But the kiddies who write on the imdb loved every second of it, as did a lot of others, so what do I know?
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Well, the hands on the clock are telling me that it’s time to click on the Unseemly Button below, and who am I to sass back the hands on the clock?
I did manage to get four pages written yesterday, and I did manage to hear the LACC alum sing – I’ve added her to the ensemble of our show. I did manage to try to search for a person I’d like to send my book to, but I came up empty at every turn. I’m beginning to wonder if I’m spelling her last name correctly, but I ended up trying every permutation of it and still nothing. It’s like this person never existed. If any of you clever dear readers have any other suggestions, please pass them along via e-mail.
Yesterday I ate silly food all day. A little of this, a little of that, but nothing substantial. I did that because I had a craving for donuts – so, I had me an apple fritter and a cinnamon roll, which were quite yummilicious.
Today I must write some more, then I must sit down and start figuring out what is going where in our LACC show, as I’m meeting with our musical director this evening and I want him to know what he’s in for. Tomorrow, we’re back in rehearsal with Kevin, although I found out that the assistant I hired can’t do it, so I’m desperately trying to find a replacement. Isn’t that a kick in the pants?
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, write, I must get organized, I must do errands, and I must meet with my musical director over an Eyetalian dinner. Today’s topic of discussion: What were your favorite children’s albums or records when you were growing up – either albums designed for kids, or just albums you loved as a young child. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst the hands on the clock tell me that it is time to post these here notes.